The last few days have certainly been tough for the Saskatoon Health Region and the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, as both made announcements of upcoming job layoffs in an effort to balance their budgets in the wake of Sask. Party cuts and underfunding.

Yesterday, it was announced that 260 healthcare positons have been cut in the Saskatoon Health Region and today, it was reported that more frontline workers will also be cut in the Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region. With fewer people doing the important work of caring for people, the impact on patient care will be devastating, direct, and immediate.

In a response to an NDP Freedom of Information request, the Sask. Party has flat-out refused to share the results from on-site tests and inspections of Husky pipelines since 2011.

“What does an on-site inspection of a pipeline near Swift Current in 2012 have to do with a pipeline leak near Maidstone in 2016?” asked NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon. “What is the Sask. Party hiding? What possible justification could they have, especially in light of the recent oil leak, for rejecting transparency and dodging its responsibility to be open and upfront with the public on the fundamentals like protecting our drinking water and demonstrating the integrity of Saskatchewan pipelines?”

In reaction to the proposed merger between PotashCorp and Agrium, New Democrats are raising concerns about the loss of Saskatchewan jobs, the loss of Saskatchewan influence over our natural resource, and increased costs to Saskatchewan producers and, eventually, all Saskatchewan people - as consumers. Especially during a time when the province’s economy is struggling and thousands of jobs are being lost in the province, New Democrats are calling on the provincial government to finally work to protect Saskatchewan jobs rather than stand back while control over another vital piece of Saskatchewan’s economy is given away.

“If this merger goes through, it could have a profound negative effect on producers and workers throughout the province, as well as the province’s economy in its entirety,” said NDP Leader Trent Wotherspoon. “Even with a registration of the head office in Saskatchewan, there’s no ironclad guarantee protecting the jobs, the revenues, and the influence of our resource.”

As the consequences of the Sask. Party’s near decade of wasting the economic boom continue to roll out in the form of cold-hearted cuts to the province’s most vulnerable, the seniors served by Saskatoon Council on Aging learned today that they are the most recent to be forced to pay for the Sask. Party’s waste and mismanagement.